Update 2/19/23:
It has been nearly three years since our last update so we would like to inform you of all that has happened since then. After our success in 2019, where we placed second in the nation, the club was unfortunately disbanded due to the pandemic, and the car was scrapped. However, since January of 2022, our team has been hard at work gearing up for the big Solar Car Challenge, a competition where around 40 high school teams will race from Dallas, Texas to Palmdale, California over an eight-day period.
Beginning in March of last year, we began our design process, taking into consideration major factors and creating rough sketches of what the car would look like. As the design process continued, more questions arose: How big will the driver compartment be? What battery should we use and how do we reduce weight? To answer these questions and to get a better grasp of the competition, our two leaders, Junseo Hong and David Shi, attended the 2022 Solar Car Challenge in Dallas, Texas with former OSRC captains Will Jones and Eric Andrecheck.
After coming back from this week-long event, our club solidified our design with the aid of CAD and computer simulations. Soon after, we were purchasing parts and buying metal for the frame and our team members were learning essential skills like welding, modeling, and financing.
It has been nearly three years since our last update so we would like to inform you of all that has happened since then. After our success in 2019, where we placed second in the nation, the club was unfortunately disbanded due to the pandemic, and the car was scrapped. However, since January of 2022, our team has been hard at work gearing up for the big Solar Car Challenge, a competition where around 40 high school teams will race from Dallas, Texas to Palmdale, California over an eight-day period.
Beginning in March of last year, we began our design process, taking into consideration major factors and creating rough sketches of what the car would look like. As the design process continued, more questions arose: How big will the driver compartment be? What battery should we use and how do we reduce weight? To answer these questions and to get a better grasp of the competition, our two leaders, Junseo Hong and David Shi, attended the 2022 Solar Car Challenge in Dallas, Texas with former OSRC captains Will Jones and Eric Andrecheck.
After coming back from this week-long event, our club solidified our design with the aid of CAD and computer simulations. Soon after, we were purchasing parts and buying metal for the frame and our team members were learning essential skills like welding, modeling, and financing.
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When the school year started, we began constructing the solar car, starting with the metal frame and moving onto smaller sub-assemblies like the steering, wheels, and suspension.
We found hubs, spokes, rims, and tires, making sure that all of the parts purchased were compatible with one another. We then had the wheels custom-made (Thank you Denny’s Central Park Bicycles!) and attached the tires and tubes afterward. The tires were carefully selected in order to minimize rolling resistance, which will significantly increase our efficiency.
We found hubs, spokes, rims, and tires, making sure that all of the parts purchased were compatible with one another. We then had the wheels custom-made (Thank you Denny’s Central Park Bicycles!) and attached the tires and tubes afterward. The tires were carefully selected in order to minimize rolling resistance, which will significantly increase our efficiency.
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We then designed a motor mount in CAD, and had it cut using a water jet by the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, who visited us this fall. After attaching it to the frame, we ran a chain around both the wheel and the motor to get the wheel spinning for the first time! We also welded on fork mounts, which were generously donated by Holder Corporation. These mounts allow the forks which hold the wheels to securely attach to the frame.
Soon afterward, the steering system was completed, and just recently we were able to test drive the unpowered vehicle. To our surprise, the test was incredibly successful with the driving being very smooth!
Soon afterward, the steering system was completed, and just recently we were able to test drive the unpowered vehicle. To our surprise, the test was incredibly successful with the driving being very smooth!
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While our mechanical team focused on construction, our business division was busy obtaining sponsors and organizing fundraiser events. After reaching out to the Okemos Education Foundation, we were able to receive a whopping $2000 in aid! Additionally, we organized a bottle collection fundraiser, which raised around $500 in total! We also held several fundraising events at local restaurants, and this week, we are planning on raising more money at our school by selling candygrams, which our members worked diligently to put together just in time for Valentine’s Day. We hope to raise $10,000 by the time we compete this July in order to afford registration, transportation, and spare parts.
That is all for our first update. We would like to thank you all for your support in our recent endeavors.
Sincerely,
The Okemos Solar Racing Club
Update 8/23/22:
Okemos Solar Racing Club has returned to school after Covid. We have made good progress designing and planning out our car over the summer. Currently we have the car frame designed in CAD and we have a lot of the parts such as our solar panels ready to be used. We hope to start constructing the car soon and have it completed by next summer. There were lots of new faces signed up for the 22-23 school year during kickstart which was amazing and we can't wait to see how this year will turn out. We will do community events and fundraisers throughout the school year to help us finish our car and give back to the community. Be sure to check our website frequently as there will be monthly updates being posted, thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
The Okemos Solar Racing Club
Okemos Solar Racing Club has returned to school after Covid. We have made good progress designing and planning out our car over the summer. Currently we have the car frame designed in CAD and we have a lot of the parts such as our solar panels ready to be used. We hope to start constructing the car soon and have it completed by next summer. There were lots of new faces signed up for the 22-23 school year during kickstart which was amazing and we can't wait to see how this year will turn out. We will do community events and fundraisers throughout the school year to help us finish our car and give back to the community. Be sure to check our website frequently as there will be monthly updates being posted, thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
The Okemos Solar Racing Club
